Electrical railway signaling system.



No. 797,591. PATENTBII AUG. 92, 1995. L.N.LY0N,JB.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED Novi 29, 1904.

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No. 797,591. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905. L. N.. LYON, JB.. ELECTRICALRAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, 29, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED AUG. z2, 1905. Y L.l N, LYON, Jn. ELECTRICAL RAILWAYSLGNALING'SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1904.

3 SHBBTS-SHBET 3.

fmw XM@ LEONIDAS N. LYON, JR.

, OF FLATONIA, TEXAS.

ELIETHHCL lFAllLWAY SilGNlLlllNlG SYSTEM..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application iiled November 29, 1904. Serial Nn. 234,745.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that l, LicoNIDAs N. LYON, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Flatonia, in the county of Fayette and State ofTexas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical RailwaySignaling Systems, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical railway signaling systems, and aimsto provide a system, hereinafter more specifically described, which willenable the sending' of telephonic or telegraphic messages back and forthbetween two or more locomotives or trains and between a locomotiveortrain and a station and which is also further adapted for electricallysignaling in other manners between two or more locomotives or trains andbetween a locomotive or train and a station; and to this end. the systemconsists of a main eircuit'and one ormore what nii'ay be termedauxiliary or shunt circuit or circuits cooperating with the maincircuit, said auxiliary or shunt circuit or circuits being formed by asuitable electromagnetic shunt or shunts arranged in the main circuit.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the system consists of thenovel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore specifically described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and wherein is shown thepreferred embodiment of the invention; but it is to be understood thatchanges, variations, and modifications can be resorted to which comewithin the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

ln the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation ofa circuit-breaker interposed in the main open circuit. Fig'. 2 is atransverse sectional view of one of the supports for the track-wiresections. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a frontelevation showing the trolleys carried by the train or locomotive. Fig.5 is a diagramlnatical view of an electrical railway signaling systemconstructed in accordance with this invention, and Fig. 6 is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 5.

The auxiliary or shunt circuit or circuits, which is or are formedthrough the medium of the electromagnetic shunt or shunts, (to behereinafter describcd,) will be hereinafter referred to as an auxiliarycircuit or circuits. When setting up the system, as many auxiliarycircuits are employed as desired,

and in the example shown in Fig. 5 but one complete auxiliary circuit isshown, whereas in the example shown in Fig. 6 two complete auxiliarycircuits are shown. For each auxiliary circuit the necessaryelectromagnetic shunt and wire connections are used. As each of theauxiliary circuits is formed alike, it is thought unnecessary to showmore than two and to only describe one.

Referringl to the drawings by reference characters, the main circuitcomprises the con* ductors 1, 2, and 3, preferably wires. The conductor2 branches oli' from the conductor 1. The electromagnetic shunt isarranged in the main circuit and consists of a lixed contact f1 and amovable contact, the normal po* sition of the latter being against thecontact 4- and which is held in such position through the medium of thespring 6.

The reference character 12 denotes the magnets of the shunting device.

The conductor 3 of the main circuit is connected to the fixed contactL1. The conductor 2 ofthe main circuit is connected to the movablecontact 5, while the magnets 12 are connected with the conductor 1 bythe conductor 7.

The auxiliary or shunt circuit consists of the conductors 8 9 1O11 1516, trolleys 13 14, and signaling device 17, which, as shown, is atelephone. The conductor 8 leads from the magnets 12 to the conductor11. The conductor 9 leads from the iixed contact et to the conductor 10.The trolley 13 14: travels upon the conductors 10 11, respectively, theconductor 15 leads from the trolley 13 to the signaling device 17, andthe conductor 16 leads from the trolley 14 to the signaling' device 17.

The travel of the main circuit when thc auxiliary or shunt circuit isnot formed is from station over the conductors 1 Q through the contacts4C and 5 and over conductor 3 to station. 1When the auxiliary circuit isformed, the travel of the current is as follows: Over conductor 1,branch 7, through the magnets 12, conductors 8 11, trolley 111,conductor 16, signaling' device 17, conductor 15, trolley 13, conductors1() 9, contact A1, and conductor 3.

The conductors 10 and 11 are what are termed tracleconductors andpreferably are constructed oi wire. The conductors 10 and 11 arearranged in proximity to the track-bed and are arranged in sections,cach section consisting of a pair of conductors, the pair beingdesignated by the reference characters 10 and 1 1. Each section of thetrack conductors or wires is separate from the adjacent section of thetrack conductors or wires. By separating each section of the trackconductors or wires separate auxiliaryY or shunt circuits are formedwhich coperate with the main circuit.

The system as illustrated is shown set up for use in connection with atelephone, although any other manner of signaling can be employed, andthe telephone is designated by the reference character 17 and is carriedby the locomotive, although it can be carried by one of the cars of thetrain, and to the telephone is connected the conductors 15 and 16. Theselatter, as before stated, are connected with the trolleys 13 and 14,which are carried by the locomotive or, if desired, can be carried byone ot' the cars of the train. The trolleys 13 14 depend and, as beforestated, contact with the track-conductors 10 11,which are arranged inproximity to the track-rails and supported above the ties 18 through themedium of the insulators 19, mounted on the Ainner end of acounter-balanced arm 20, pivoted to the support 21, as at 22, therebeing' as many counterbalanced arms 20 as is desired, and the functionof making the said arms counterbalanced is to cause the conductors 10 11to bear against the trolleys 13 14, or, in other words, cause theconductors 10 11 to be also in contact with the trolleys 13 14 when saidtrolleys are passing over one of the sections of the track conductors orWires.

Arranged at a point in suitable relation with respect to the track-bedare the poles 23 for supporting the conductors 1, 7, and 3 and also forsupporting the electromagnetic shunt devices.

The main circuit when used in connection with a telephone signalingapparatus is what may be termed anormally open circuit, as such term isgenerally used in telephonie work to denote the fact that no current ison, rather than a broken metallic circuit, as the term open circuitliterally denotes. As a matter of fact the metallic circuit is, to besure, closed normally.

In Fig. 6 of the'drawings a two-train system is set up so that twotrains can communicate with each other as well as communicate with theheadquartersotces. Normally without any trains on the road the positionof all the electromagnetic shunt devices will be the same as shown at Ain Fig. 6. Under these conditions the current will travel from thepositive ground at oice C by conductor l, thence conductors 1 2 throughmovable contact 5, stationary contact 4, and onto conductor 3, and so onuntil ground at the negative end at oiiice D is reached. Under suchcircumstances it is evident that it is normally a closed circuit. Intelephone-work the wire normally has no current turned on and is usuallycalled an open circuit, not that the metallic connection is broken atall, but bccause there is no electric current all the time,

as it is under the Morse telegraphic system.

Reverting again to Fig. 6 of the drawings,

should there be two trains on the road, as soon as their trolleys comein contact with the track-rails the batteries carried by their telephonewill energize the magnets 12, which draws the movable contact 5 awayfrom the stationary Contact, which action shunts the current lflowingthrough the conductors in a manner hereinbefore referred to and causesit to ow over conductors 1 7, through magnets 12, conductors 8 11,trolley 14, conductor 16, signaling device 17, conductor 15, trolley 13,conductors 10 9, contact 4, and conductor 3, to other end ot' line or toand through the next train-signaling device or telephone in circuit. Itis to be understood that the batteries carried by the train should bestrong enough to energize the magnets 12. The wires 1 and 3 lead toheadquarters ofiice, where the)7 are grounded or the current returned ona return metallic circuit.

The operation set forth in the preceding paragraph is had when atelephone is employed'. Consequently the main circuit is permanentlyopen. Should a Morse key and sounder be substituted for the telephone,it would be necessary to employ a closed circuit; otherwise the operatoron the train could not break the operator sending to him. The term maincircuit is employed as generic to permanently-open or apermanently-closed circuit. lf desirable, a groundwire can be attachedto either of the elements 15, 16, and 17.

The batteries that are placed at C and D, Fig. 6, are harmoniouslyopposed to each otherwz'. e., the positive pole at C and the negativepole at D. In the train are carried other batteries which are also inharmonious polarity with those at C and D, having the positive poleconnected with conductor 16 and the negative pole connected withconductor 15. However, ifthe resistance through the movable contact 5and stationary contact 4 be greater than through magnet 12 andconductors 8, 11, 14, 16, 17, 15, 13, 10, and 9, the current will takethis route when apair of trolleys comes on that section. However, if thetrain carries batteries,it will make assurance doubly sure in theenergizing of the magnet 12. As long as there is a metallic circuit incontact when the trolleys move upon the section of track-wires it willenergize magnet 12, diverting the flow of current down through thetrack-wires. The batteries carried by the train, as before stated,should be strong enough to energize the magnet 12, thus pulling themovable contact away from the stationary contact and diverting thecurrent to the track-wires.

It will be evident from a system set up in the manner as hereinbeforepointed out that signaling can be had between two or more locomotives ortrains and between a locomotive or train and a station, as the trolleysof the tram will be traveling over sections of the track conductors orwires simultaneously,

'so as to form auxiliary circuits, each coperating with a main circuit.As the trolleys leave one section of the track conductors or wires andpass upon another section oi' the track conductors or wires an auxiliarycircuit will be broken and a new one formed. The auxiliary circuit whichhas been broken will not be formed again until another pair of trolleystravels upon that section of the track conductors or wires which forms apart of the said auxiliary circuit which has been broken.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrical railway signaling'systcm, a main circuit, aplurality of independent pairs of conductors, a magnetic shunt deviceinterposed in said main circuit, auxiliary-circuit wire connectionsbetween each pair of said conductors, said device and said main circuit,and means traveling upon said independent pairs of conductors andcooperating with said auxiliary-circuit wire connections for formingseparate auxiliary circuits cooperating with said main circuit.

2. In an electrical railway signaling system, a main circuit, aplurality of independent pairs ot' wire conductors, a magnetic shuntdevice interposed in said main circuit, auxiliary-circuit wireconnections between each pair of said conductors, said device and saidmain circuit, a pair of trolleys electrically connected with asignalingdevice and adapted to travel over said independent pairs of conductors,said trolleys when traveling over each pair or' conductors 'Forming anauxiliary circuit cooperating with said main circuit, and acounterbalanced means `for retaining said conductors in contact withsaid trolleys while these latter are traveling' over each independentpair of conductors.

3. An electrical system for signaling' from a moving train, embodying' aplurality of independent pairs of conductors arranged in close proximityto the track-rails and adapted to be engaged by trolleys carried by themoving train, and a counterbalanced means for supporting said conductorsand for retaining them in contact with thc trolleys when the latter aretraveling over the conductors.

4. In an electrical railway signaling' system, comprising apermanently-open main circuit embodying' a lixed and a movable contactand electrical conductors suitably1 connected with said contacts, and anauxiliary circuit cooperating with said main circuit and comprising anelectromagnetic device connected with one of the conductors of the maincircuit and cooperating with said movable contact, said auxiliarycircuit further comprising a pair of electrical conductors electricallyconnected with said fixed contact and said electromagnetic device andmeans traveling upon said pair of electrical conductors for bridgingthem.

5. An electrica] system for moving trains, comprising a main circuit, apair of parallel conductors, an electromagnetic device connected withtheparallel conductors, trolleys carried by a moving train and travelingover said parallel conductors, and connections between the conductors,magnetic device, and main circuit, whereby the electric current of themain circuit may be shunted or diverted to iiow through said parallelconductors, trolleys,connections and return to the main circuit.

6. In an electrical railway signaling system, embodying a circuitbreaking and forming means consisting' of an electromagnetic device, afixed contact, a movable contact cooperating with said fixed contact andthe electromagnetic device, said movable contact adapted when saidelectromagnetic device is energizedto be moved against said device,thereby forming an auxiliary circuit for closing the main circuit, andsuitable main and auxiliary circuit Vforming connections cooperating'with said lixcd contact, said movable contact and said electromagneticdevice.

7. In an electrical railway signaling system, a plurality of independentpairs ot conducting-wires, a traveling means contacting with said wiresfor bridging them, a counterbalanced support for said wires, saidsupport adapted to keep said wires in contact with said travelingbridging means, and main and auxiliary circuit wire connectionscooperating with said traveling bridging means and said independentpairs of conducting-wires.

8. An electrical railway signaling' device for moving trains, comprisinga main circuit, electromagnetic means interposed in said circuit andconnected with the train for shunting the current of the main circuit,forming thereby an auxiliary circuit cooperating' with the main circuitto permit of signaling to or from the train from or to a station, andmeans for automatically breaking the auxiliary circuit.

9. In an electrical signaling system for moving trains, a main circuit,electromagnetic means interposed in said circuit and connected with apair of trains for shunting the current from the main circuit to formauxiliary circuits coc'perating with the main circuit to enable thesignaling from one train to the other or from the train or trains to astation or from a station to a train or trains, and means forautomatically breaking the auxiliary circuits.

In testimony whereoi'l I have hereunto set my hand in presence oi twosubscribing witnesses.

LEONIDAS N. LYON, JR. Witnesses:

F. A. Nnsns'rA, IV. IVILLEFQRD.

